The estimated resident population (ERP) of Tasmania at December 2001 was 473,252, up 0.2% on the previous year. The fastest growing states and territories in the twelve months to 31 December 2001 were Queensland, which recorded an increase of 1.9%, and Victoria and Western Australia, which both recorded increases of 1.3%.

The major contributor to the increase in the Tasmanian population was natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) of 2,548 persons in Tasmania. However, taking into account a negative interstate migration of 2,179, a gain of 154 from net overseas migration, and allowing for intercensal discrepancy, the total increase in the Tasmanian population was 964.

BIRTHS AND CONFINEMENTS

In 2001, there were 6,420 births registered to 6,324 usual residents of Tasmania. The total fertility rate (TFR) for Tasmania was 2.066 children per woman compared with 1.726 children for Australia.

Only the Northern Territory, (2.260 children per woman) had a higher total fertility rate than Tasmania in 2001.

The median age of mothers for confinements registered to usual Tasmanian residents in 2001, was 29.1 years. This compares to the national median of 30 years.

The highest fertility rate (the average total fertility rate over three years 1999 to 2001) was recorded in the Southern Statistical Division (2.33). The Greater Hobart Statistical Division experienced the lowest fertility rate (1.82).

In 2001, 2,745 births were registered to mothers in the Greater Hobart Statistical Division, whilst in the Northern, Mersey-Lyell, and Southern Statistical Divisions the number of births registrations were 1,815,1,397, and 454 respectively.

DEATHS

There were 3,876 deaths registered in Tasmania in 2001, while there were 128,544 in Australia as a whole. Tasmania's standardised death rate (which relates the number of deaths per 1,000 population to a standard population) was 6.2 per 1,000 of population, second only to the Northern Territory with 8.1 per 1,000 population, and higher than the Australian rate of 5.4 per 1,000 population.

In 2001, 40 infant deaths were recorded in Tasmania, with a rate of 6.5 per 1,000 live births, higher than the Australian rate of 5.3, but under the rates recorded in the Northern Territory (10.7 per 1,000 live births).

The highest indirect standardised death rate (which is used when the populations under study are small and the age-specific death rates are unreliable, see Glossary) was recorded in the Northern Statistical Division (6.2 per 1,000 population) with the lowest rate being recorded in both the Greater Hobart Statistical Division and the Southern Statistical Division (6.1 per 1,000 population respectively).

In 2001, 1,608 deaths were registered in the Greater Hobart Statistical Division, whilst 1,148 were registered in the Northern Statistical Division, 884 in the Mersey-Lyell Statistical Division, and 219 in the Southern Statistical Division.

MIGRATION

In 2001, Tasmania experienced a net gain of 154 persons from overseas migration. The total gain for Australia in 2001 was 110,478 with all states and territories experiencing a net overseas migration gain.

While 12,516 persons moved to Tasmania from other areas of Australia during the year, 14,695 chose to leave for other parts of Australia. The net interstate outflow of 2,179 persons remained a major source of population loss from Tasmania.

Queensland experienced by far the highest number of new arrivals from elsewhere in Australia with 102,499 arrivals. New South Wales experienced the largest number of departures to other areas of Australia with 114,499 departures.

MARRIAGES

There were 2,182 marriages registered in Tasmania in 2001.

The Tasmanian crude marriage rate of 4.6 per 1,000 of population compares to an Australian rate of 5.3 per 1,000.

The median marriage age was 31.2 years for men and 29.0 years for women. When compared with Australia, the Tasmanian median for men was 0.6 years higher and for women was 0.4 years higher.

DIVORCES

In 2001 there were 1,439 divorces granted in Tasmania.

The Tasmanian crude divorce rate of 3.0 per 1,000 population, compared to the Australian crude divorce rate in 2001 of 2.8 per 1,000 population.